Meet The Lost Boys?four talented artists from Blue Sky Studios?during this exciting look at the process of digital animation for feature length films. Nick Bruno, Scott Carroll, Paul Downs, and Peter Paquette will offer insights into how beloved characters from Robots, Ice Age, and Rio are brought to life. Family exhibition tours, hands-on workshops, and the opening of Robot Nation, a special outdoor exhibition, will delight visitors of all ages. Free with Museum admission.

On Thursday July 28th, you’re invited to spend an intimate evening with the legendary Grant Morrison for the release of his new book Supergods: What Masked Viglilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human. By just buying Supergods from Meltdown Comics, you’ll not only get a copy of this amazing book, but you’ll also get a night filled with Q&A with the man himself, a signing, perhaps some videos, and maybe even a song or two, as the festivities will be hosted by a very special, very chemical, romantic guest Musical CollaboratoR. Closed to the first 200 responders only, so act fast! If you’re not in Los Angeles, you can get a signed copy of Supergods shipped to your home and support indy stores. If you’re in LA, you get the book, the signature, plus the show! Just $25!

It was recently noticed that Wizard had removed the Central Canada Comic Con, the Winnipeg-based convention, from the lineup of shows on their website.

As they say, though, “the show must go on,” and River City Conventions has stepped up to take over the convention, making the following statement on the c4con.com website:

Greetings, congoers, exhibitors, artists, volunteers, and fans!

The 2011 Central Canada Comic Con is still on! The event will be happening at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on October 28, 29, and 30, 2011.

You may have heard that Wizard World will no longer be holding a comic convention in Winnipeg in the fall. This is true, and Wizard World has pulled its involvement with the event.

However, the great team from River City Conventions will be holding the Central Canada Comic Con in their place, and it will take place on its previously announced dates: October 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2011 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. We’ll be announcing our new guests and more information soon, so please visit http://www.c4con.com regularly!

You can look forward to great guests, a massive exhibitor room, thrilling gaming, an amazing artist alley, fun contests, crazy costumes, and so much more at the 2011 Central Canada Comic Con! We hope to see you there!

Those who have pre-registered for tickets, exhibitor booths, artist alley tables, etc. with Wizard World are encouraged to contact Wizard World regarding refunds. Unfortunately, you will need to re-register for the event. We’ll have information soon on costs and registering.

Want to help us out in making this the best convention yet? Please contactinfo@cccomiccon.com to sign up as a volunteer! We can use help in a variety of different areas, from pre-planning to day-of-event helpers – just email and we’ll work together to make this the best convention ever!

Multi-talented Peter de Sève designs characters for animated films and illustrates for major magazines, including The New Yorker, Time, and Newsweek. Learn how he brings beloved animated characters like Manny, Diego, Sid, and Scrat to life.

The talk is free with Museum admission and presented as part of the Museum’s Blue Sky & Beyond summer program series, being held Thursday evenings in July and August. Join us for this series of inspiring conversations celebrating the art of visual storytelling and the contributions of noted American illustrators and filmmakers, who bring artistry and technology together to create compelling new realities.

ongoing: Jane Shauck and Mark Chiarello exhibitions; design your own baseball card; play catch with the Pittsfield Colonials; book signing: A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB and the Players Association Threw 874 Retirees a Curve with author Douglas Gladstone.

Dear Comics Fans: It’s sand…it’s sun…and a MegaTON of Comic FUN! It’s Atomicon XXIV Comics Expo, returning to the heart of the Jersey Shore at the Holiday Inn of Manahawkin N.J. on Sunday, July 31, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Exit 63 off of the G.S.P., junction of Rt. 72 and Rt. 9 in Stafford Township).

*LOW Admission Price of just $2 for Adults and Teens means YOU have MORE to SPEND in our AIR-CONDITIONED Dealers Room on TENS of THOUSANDS of COMICS (Golden Age to Present), Toys, Action Figures, Comics Supplies, DVDs and other Comics Collectibles!

* FREE, FREE, FREE!: FREE Admission for Kids 12-and-Under! FREE Parking for Con attendees in the hotel parking lot! FREE Comics for the first 100 patrons through the door! FREE Education via the College of Comic-book Knowledge (just ask any of our dealers)!

* Easy Access: via Rt. 9 or the Garden State Parkway (north-south) and Rt. 72 (east-west). No car? Use the Rt. 9 Bus (Atlantic City-Lakewood line). We’re ten minutes from the beaches of Long Beach Island…and thirty minutes from all the action /activity of Atlantic City…

* For a DOZEN years and TWO DOZEN shows, Atomicon has stood for Always Affordable Family Entertainment…and a MegaTON of Comic FUN! Bring your flip-flops…your sunglasses…your Bermuda shorts…your Hawaiian shirts…and your “Want Lists”! This is ONE Comics Beach Party you WON’T want to miss!

*As the Mighty THOR is known to have said: “Be thou there…or be thou SQUARE!” – The Promoters at Surf Pirate Productions

Studio Creating Nearly 40,000 Limited-Edition Collectible Hotel Keycards for TV Series Alcatraz and Person of Interest, DVD Release of Smallville: The Complete Series, Original New Media Series Mortal Kombat: Legacy and More

Keycard for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Video Game Provides Registration Details for a Special Comic-Con Event Where Fans Can Experience the Darkness of Middle-earth

BURBANK, Calif. (June 29, 2011) — Warner Bros. Entertainment is throwing a key party at Comic-Con! The Studio has once again created a set of limited-edition collectible hotel keycards, which will be in use at top hotels throughout the San Diego area during the ’Con. This marks the fourth consecutive year for the popular room key program.

Nearly 40,000 branded room keys will be available to fans at 36 participating hotels, courtesy of Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing.

For Comic-Con 2011, Warner Bros. has created all-new keycards for five of the Studio’s series, video games and home entertainment releases, including:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s DVD release of Smallville: The Complete Series

The original live-action new media series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, from Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings: War in the North video game, with instructions on how fans can register to experience a special event at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at 5th Avenue and J Street in the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter

Person of Interest: Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line), Michael Emerson (Lost) and Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow) team up in this crime action-drama from The Dark Knight’s Jonathan Nolan and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions (Super 8, Fringe). Set in New York City, with all of its multifaceted elements of justice (cops, criminals, corruption), this procedural centers on an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who partners with a mysterious billionaire to prevent violent crimes. The series will air Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS this fall.

Smallville: Warner Bros. Television’s hit series Smallville recently concluded its 10th and final season on The CW, but fans can soon have all 218 episodes — plus five hours of newly added special features, including an all-new 90-minute retrospective — in their collection as Warner Home Video releases Smallville: The Complete Series on DVD this fall.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy: This original live-action new media series from Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution is directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Fame); stars Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) as Sonya Blade, Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) as Major Jackson “Jax” Briggs and Darren Shahlavi (300) as Kano; is based on the video game Mortal Kombat, created by Ed Boon; and takes gamers deep into the history of the warriors they know and love. Mortal Kombat: Legacy can be viewed on Machinima.com and will be available for download via iTunes, Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network starting July 18.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North: This is an intense, Action RPG video game for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC with an original story based on the renowned works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Up to three gamers can play together or perish as they form their own fellowship to defeat Sauron’s forces in the North of Middle-earth. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment invites Comic-Con fans to a special event at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at 5th Avenue and J Street in the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. Fans can experience Middle-earth like never before and play the new The Lord of the Rings game months before its official release. Beginning on Wednesday, July 20, fans can text WITN to 82257 or log on to warinthenorth.com/comic-con for more details about the event.

POW! Entertainment’s Stan Lee, Music Superstar Yoshiki, and World Renowned Comic Book Artist Todd McFarlane to Unveil New Comic Book Series “Blood Red Dragon” at Comic-Con 2011

LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2011 — Stan Lee, Chief Creative Officer of POW! Entertainment (OTCQB: POWN), music superstar and humanitarian Yoshiki, and world renowned comic book artist Todd McFarlane will unveil the debut issue of the highly anticipated comic book series Blood Red Dragon at Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 21, 2011. Lee, McFarlane and Yoshiki, on whom the comic’s central superhero is based, will present the first installment of Blood Red Dragon, which features a surprise and first-of-its-kind publishing innovation that combines the unique skills of these three world-renowned artists. Lee, McFarlane, and Yoshiki will join established and respected comic book writer Jon Goff in a panel discussion at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel in the Indigo room on Thursday, July 21st from 1pm-2pm, followed by press interviews from 2-3:30pm.

Blood Red Dragon Issue #0, the first in the series published by Todd McFarlane Productions, focuses on the origin of an ancient and benevolent force, locked in an epic battle with the dark armies of Oblivion. Creative expression and destiny collide, as once in a generation an individual is born with the potential to unlock the awesome might of the Blood Red Dragon, thus channeling a power beyond comprehension and assuming the mantle of Earth’s protector. When agents of Oblivion discover that the key to accessing the Blood Red Dragon’s energy lays in music—the melodic heart of the human spirit, they launch a series of violent attacks on musicians across the globe. As he performs in front of a large crowd during the opening show of a massive world tour, drummer and keyboardist Yoshiki comes face-to-face with his destiny, experiencing a transformation that will forever change his life—and possibly the fate of the world.

“I am extremely excited about Blood Red Dragon,” said Lee. “Yoshiki’s exceptional musical abilities, visual flair and passionate humanitarianism make him an amazing and inspiring collaborator and I think readers will experience every bit of that in the comics.”

Added Yoshiki, “Working with the one-and-only Stan Lee has been an incredible experience for me. He is truly a genius and one of the best storytellers living today. I’m excited with the results of our efforts and look forward to the response from readers and music lovers around the world.”

“Being able to collaborate with creators on a global level is always a thrill,” said McFarlane. “Working with two big names, likeYoshiki and Stan Lee, I hope I’m able to add a little bit of my touch to a book that my, Stan’s, but most importantly Yoshiki’s fans will enjoy. At the same time, I hope this book helps introduce Yoshiki to fans that don’t know him on American shores.”

About Stan Lee

Stan Lee is the founder, chairman and chief creative officer of POW! Entertainment (OTCQB:POWN). Widely acknowledged as the originator of the modern day superhero, Lee created or co-created the vast majority of Marvel® Comics’ most recognized and beloved characters including Spider-Man®, The Incredible Hulk®, X-Men®, The Fantastic Four®, Iron Man® and countless others. Lee first became publisher of Marvel Comics in 1972 and is presently the chairman emeritus of Marvel Enterprises. In 1977, he introduced “Spider-Man” as a syndicated newspaper strip that went on to become the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips, appearing in more than 500 newspapers worldwide. More than 2 billion of his comic books have been published in 75 countries and in 25 languages and numerous blockbuster movies and dozens of successful television series have been based on characters he created. Lee formed POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment with producer Gill Champion and attorney Arthur Lieberman. The company, unrelated to Marvel, creates franchises for theatrical release, television, DVD’s, video games, merchandising and related ancillary markets.

The heart of X Japan is Yoshiki – songwriter, drummer, and classically trained pianist who also plays guitar, bass and trumpet. Yoshiki, who has been referred to by his first name only throughout his entire professional career, is arguably Asia’s most influential musical artist and biggest rock icon. According to one industry insider, “Yoshiki is to Japan what Bono is to the UK.” His double-record classical album, Eternal Melody (1993), was co-produced and arranged by the legendary George Martin, recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and remains Japan’s biggest-selling classical release. For KISS My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved, the 1994 KISS tribute album, Yoshiki arranged and produced “Black Diamond” as a piano concerto, prompting Rolling Stone magazine to comment in its CD review, “the ingenuity award must go to Yoshiki…” Yoshiki has produced some of Japan’s most influential bands, including Dir En Grey and Glay. At the request of the Japanese government in 1999, Yoshiki composed a piano concerto and performed it with a 77-piece orchestra to celebrate the tenth year of the Emperor of Japan’s reign. In 2005, he was named the Music Director for the 2005 World Expo, composed its theme song, and conducted the orchestra at the opening ceremonies. Yoshiki also wrote the X Japan song “I.V.” for the 2007 international blockbuster horror film “Saw IV,” which played over the film’s closing credits.

Beyond music, Yoshiki is an entrepreneur and a true renaissance man. He has overseen the development of a premiere line of Yoshiki jewelry, collaborated with the California Mondavi family to develop his own wine, “Y,” the Bank of Japan has issued a Yoshiki Visa Card and, for the first time in history, a Hello Kitty product line was named after a person – “Yoshikitty” – that became available in Japan in May 2010. In March 2011, Yoshiki co-produced an East-meets-west/fashion-meets-music event, “Asia Girls Explosion,” showcasing top fashion brands, and debuting his own line of kimonos, “Yoshikimono.” U.S. celebrities such as rocker Marilyn Manson and stars from the hit television series “90210.” Yoshiki has graced the covers of more than 200 music, business and trade media outlets in Asia.

In July, 2010, Yoshiki launched the Yoshiki Foundation America, a California non-profit, 501(c) public benefit corporation that has already helped organizations including The Grammy Foundation, Make-a-Wish, and St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. With the devastating March 2011 earthquake in Japan, YSA is focusing all of its efforts on Japan relief, and has partnered with the Japan America Society of Southern California in those efforts.

Grammy-and Emmy-winning producer/director Todd McFarlane became a true comic book superstar in the 1980s as a result of his work on Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man franchise. In 1992, he launched his own comic title, Spawn, creating one of the most popular heroes of the 1990s. The title’s hugely popular 1992 debut sold an amazing 1.7 million copies – an unprecedented feat in independent comics.

The comic became an Emmy Award-winning animated series on HBO and a live-action feature film from New Line Cinema that grossed $100 million. A whirlwind of growth and expansion followed: more comics, action figures, and award-winning entertainment projects.

After garnishing prominent success in the comic industry, McFarlane founded the international award-winning McFarlane Toys. Now one of America’s top action figure manufacturers, McFarlane Toys produces figures of HALO: Reach as well as the officially licensed teams of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. McFarlane Toys has become a leader and redefined the standards within the action figure industry.

The breadth of McFarlane’s awards span from two Emmy Awards, a pair of MTV Video Music Awards, and a Grammy Award, to hundreds of international awards for his work in the arts and action figure industry. Todd McFarlane Entertainment continues to develop projects in the video game, film, television and music industries.

Jon Goff has developed content for comic books, action figures, video games, entertainment properties while working with many of the top companies across entertainment industry, including The McFarlane Companies, 343 Industries, Microsoft Game Studios, Marvel Comics, MEGA Brands, Gentle Giant Studios, WETA Workshop, ABC Studios, Tor Books, DK Publishing, Prima Games and more. Jon’s credits include Tor Books’ Halo-themed anthology, Halo Evolutions, which features four poems (Beyond, Acheron-VII, ICON, Connectivity), as well as a short story (Headhunters), The Adventures of SPAWN online comic (McFarlane Toys/Todd McFarlane Productions), and the creator-owned comic titles, BIG HITTERS (with artist/co-creator Travis Sengaus) and Jack Rabbit (with artist/co-creator Jim Hanna). Jon is currently providing plots and additional scripting for Todd McFarlane’s monthly Spawn comic book, while working on a pair of novels—one horror, the other sci-fi/noir. Jon can be found online at:

POW! Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: POWN), a multi-media and entertainment company, was founded by noted comic book and entertainment figure Stan Lee, together with award-winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman. POW!’s principals have extensive backgrounds in the entertainment industry encompassing the creation, production and licensing of original intellectual properties, including some of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. POW! is capitalizing on this combined expertise, specializing in creating and developing both the legacy and digital media components of the entertainment industry. This includes animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, multi-media, merchandising and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion. POW! partners with other individuals and entities of entertainment’s top echelon, including studios and networks in the creation, licensing and distribution of new POW! character franchises. www.powentertainment.com.

About Todd McFarlane Productions

Todd McFarlane Productions (TMP) is the company behind the monthly comic book Spawn. Created by Todd McFarlane, Spawn debuted in May 1992, selling 1.7 million copies, making it the best-selling independent comic book of its time. Spawn is published in nine languages and distributed in more than 32 countries. Now in its 20th year, the comic recently published its 208th issue.

Can’t make it to SDCC? Celebrate Comic Con with Midtown Comics! Head to Midtown Comics Downtown on Saturday, July 23rd for great events including big sales, trivia and costume contests, giveaways, prizes and creator signings including Larry Hama, Evan Dorkin, Amy Reeder, Rebekah Isaacs and MC Chris! If you’re not at Comic Con, this is the place to be!